Carding apparatus



Sept- 24, 1968 i F. KALWAITES 3,402,432

Y CARDING APPARATUS Filed May l5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l BY l ,l

ATTORNEY Sept. 24, 1968 F. KALwArrES 3,402,432

Filed May 13, 1966 CARDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 7 *l 45 40 l 3 943h; Fi 22 M; f5/ 2,0 46%- INVENTQR FPA/wr Mum/75s TTO N'EY UnitedStates Patent O 3,402,432 CARDING APPARATUS Frank Kalwaites, Somerville,NJ., assignor to Johnson & Johnson, a corporation of New Jersey FiledMay 13, 1966, Ser. No. 549,896 4 Claims. (Cl. 19-104) ABSTRACT 0F THEDISCLOSURE A carding apparatus comprising feed means, a rotatablecleaning surface, a rotatable carding surface and a stationary resilientcarding surface comprising a pile fabric in contact with a portion ofthe circumference of the rotatable carding surface for carrying out thecarding operation.

The present invention relates to an improved method of carding andmachines for carrying out this method, and more particularly, to acarding machine which is especially adapted for the carding of cottonand synthetic fibers.

Probably the most common carding machine used today for carding cottonand synthetic fibers is a revolving fiattop card. This card consistsessentially of a feed roll and feed plate, a licker-in cylinder, a maincylinder, a set of revolving flats adjacent a portion of thecircumference of the main cylinder, and a dofiing cylinder.

In operation, a lap of fibers is fed between the feed roll and feedplate to the licker-in. The licker-in pulls tufts of fibers from thelap, and deposits these tufts of fibers onto the main cylinder of thecard. The main cylinder of the card has needle-point teeth over itsentire circumference. The revolving ats also have teeth on their surfacecooperating with the teeth on the main cylinder. The cylinder rotates ata relatively fast rate of speed while the flats virtually stand still,and as the fibers on the teeth of the cylinder pass between, they areacted on by the teeth of the flats. The fibers are carded, i.e.,somewhat aligned and parallelized. The main cylinder then presents thecarded fibers to the doffing cylinder, and the dofling cylinder removesthese carded fibers from the main cylinder in the form of a web.

Some of the drawbacks of such a carding technique have been thelimitation of the carding action due to the number of points per areathat can be placed on the flats, and hence work on the individualfibers. Also the fact that the short loose fibers tend to be blown outfrom between the main cylinder and the flats. Still another drawback hasbeen that the points on the ats and on the main cylinder of the cardmust be spaced apart so as not to damage the points, thus also reducingthe carding action of these points, and in some instances, allowingtrash or neps or other foreign particles to pass between the flats andthe main cylinder.

One technique for overcoming some of these disadvantages has been toreplace the flats with what is known as a granular plate. This is asolid plate which fits about a portion of the circumference of themaincylinder, the surface of the plate is either emery cloth or someother abrasive or granular type of surface. Such a device allows forcomplete coverage of the card thus reducing the fly waste blown outbetween the top and the main cylinder. It also in some instancesincreases the number of points per area acting on the fibers and hencemay improve carding action; however, it still has numerous disadvantagesin that there still must be a spacing between the granular top and thepoints of the card, thus allowing for trash or neps to pass between thisarea and appear in the final web.

I have now discovered a carding apparatus which has none of theseaforementioned disadvantages. In the card- CIK ICC

ing apparatus of my invention, I am able to present to the main cylinderof the card many more points per unit area to improve the cardingaction. Also I am able to place these points in contact with the pointson the main cylinder to improve the efficiency of the carding action andreduce the neps or trash which is allowed to pass between the maincylinder of the card and the carding top. Furthermore in accordance withmy carding apparatus, I am able to 4continually present any neps ortufts of unopened fibers to the main cylinder before they are acted onby the carding top and to continually present them until they are openedinto the individual fiber form s0 that they may be carded by my improvedcarding top.

In its broadest aspect the method of the present invention comprisesplacing fibrous material to be carded onto a rotatable carding surfaceand contacting the rotatable carding surface with the fibers thereonwith a resilient surface to card the fibers. In a preferred method a lapof fibrous material is fed to a rotatable cleaning surface having teeththereon traveling at a peripheral surface linear speed very much greaterthan the speed lat which the lap is fed to the rotatable cleaningsurface. The fibrous material on the rotatable cleaning surface istransferred to a rotatable carding surface traveling at a peripheralsurface linear speed very much greater than that of the rotatablecleaning surface. A portion of the fibrous material from the rotatablecarding surface is transferred to a rotatable doffing surface travelingat a peripheral surface linear speed sufficiently less than that of therotatable carding surface. The portion transferred to the rotatabledofiing surface is returned to the feed lap and again presented to therotatable cleaning surface for additional processing. The portion offibrous material on the carding surface not removed by the rotatabledofiing surface is then presented to a stationary resilient surface incontact with the rotatable carding surface to be carded, and the cardedportion is then transferred to a second rotatable doffing surface fromwhich it may be removed in the form of a fibrous web.

The carding apparatus of the present invention comprises a main cylinderwith card clothing covering the surface of the main cylinder. In contactwith the cylinder covering all of its width and a portion of itscircumference is a stationary cover having a resilient surface, i.e., apile fabric surface, preferably a velvet or plush fabric surface havinga great number of fine points per inch in contact with the points of thecard clothing. Adjacent the circumference of the cylinder at a pointbefore the stationary cover is a licker-in cylinder for feeding tufts offibers to the main cylinder. Spaced between the licker-in cylinder andthe stationary cover and also adjacent the main cylinder is a firstdofiing cylinder which travels at a peripheral surface linear speed lessthan that of the main cylinder for withdrawing a portion of the fibrousmaterial from the main cylinder and returning it to the licker-in. Alsoadjacent the circumference of the main cylinder but after the stationarycover is a second dofiing cylinder for removing the fibers from the maincylinder in the form of a fibrous web.

Other aspects of the present invention as well as variations,advantages, benefits thereof will become apparent from the followingdescription which is to be construed with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is a side elevational View showing a carding apparatusaccording to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional View at the side and top of acard showing the main cylinder of the card and how the improved cardingtop is connected to the main cylinder; and 1 FIGURE 3 is a View takenalong line 3-3 of FIG- URE 2.

Referring to the drawings, in FIGURE 1 there is shown a carding machineaccording to the present invention. The carding machine comprisessuitable framing as is used in conventional carding apparatus forsupporting all of the various cylinders, drives, etc. A supply roll 11of a lap of fibers (picker-lap) L is mounted on an axle 12 rotatablysupported from the framing. The lap of fibers is continually fed to thecarding machine by the rotatable feed roll 13 and the feed plate 14. Thefeed plate is stationary, and generally the feed roll is steel orsimilar hard metal. The feed roll rotates very slowly at a constantspeed of about 1 to about 12/3 revolutions per minute. It isapproximately 2% inches in diameter, and hence has a surface linearspeed of from about .5 to 1 foot per minute. The feed roll and platefeed the lap of fibers to the licker-in 15.

The licker-in is mounted on shaft 18 rotatably mounted in bearingsmounted in the card frame. The licker-n is usually about 9 inches indiameter and rotates with a speed of from about 300 to about 800revolutions per minute or from about 700 to 1870 feet per minute, pullsclumps and tufts of fibers from the picker-lap. The ratio of the linearspeed increase of the licker-in to the feed roll is in the range of fromabout 1000:1 to about 160011, but more normally is in the range of fromabout 1200:1 to about 1400:1. The licker-in is covered with teeth overits entire surface to pull the fibers from the picker-lap. Positionedbeneath the licker-in are mote knives 16 and a fiber screen 17. Thesemechanisms allow for some trash and waste material to drop out and beremoved from the fibers.

The licker-in is spaced about .010 to about .02 inch from the feedplate, and the teeth of the wire on the licker-in continually penetratethe picker-lap to grab clumps or tufts of fibers and carry them on thesurface of the licker-in. These opened-up bers pass the mote knives andscreen where the dirt and debris is removed, and the fibers are then fedto the main cylinder 20 of the card.

The main cylinder is conventional and is approximately 50 inches inoutside diameter and about 40 to 45 inches in width. It is mounted on ashaft 21 journaled in bearings in the card frame. The main cylinder hasa surface linear speed of from about 165 revolutions per minute up toabout 250 or 350 revolutions per minute, or from about 2160 up to 4000feet per minute. The main cylinder of the card is covered with standardcard clothing 22, either fillet or metallic, with the teeth of theclothing disposed in a direction so that the fibers are readilytransferred from the licker-in to the surface of the main cylinder andare carried forwardly by the main cylinder in conventional manner. Anyclumps, tufts or knots of fibers which are not completely opened by thelicker-in are usually carried right at the ends of the surface of theteeth of the main cylinder, whereas the individualized fibers arecarried slightly down in these teeth.

As the fibrous material passes upwardly, it passes immediately adjacenta metering or dofling roll 25 mounted on a shaft 26 rotatably mounted inbearings in the frame. The length of the metering roll is approximatelythe same as that of the main cylinder, but its diameter is considerablysmaller and is in the range of from about 3 inches to about 5 inches.The surface linear speed of this roll is considerably slower than thesurface linear speed of the main cylinder and must have a linear speedreduction ratio with respect thereto of at least 1:10. Normally thelinear speed reduction ratio is considerably less than that value and isnormally in the range of from about 1:50 and even as low as 1:100. Thisof course results in a substantial reduction in the surface linear speedof the fibrous material. The metering roll is carefully and accuratelypositioned with a clearance from about .02 inch to about .08 inch withrespect to the surface of the main cylinder. The metering roll has atoothed surface with the teeth so disposed as to remove the fibrousmaterial from the main cylinder. By the clearance mentioned above andthe positioning of the metering roll, the preponderance or bulk of theindividualized fibers pass freely onwardly on the surface of the maincylinder; however, the clumps, tufts and knots which are present andwhich protrude off the surface of the main cylinder to a greater degreeare contacted by the teeth of the metering roll and removed from themain cylinder by the slowly moving metering roll. As these clumps andtufts are removed and deposited on the metering roll, the slowness ofthis roll is such that the clumps and tufts are condensed or broughttogether substantially into a self-contained fibrous web or sheet. Thisweb is advanced around the periphery of the roll and removed therefromby a retracting roll 30 mounted from the shaft 31 journalled in bearingsin the frame. The retracting roll is of a smaller diameter butapproximately the same length as the metering roll and rotates with evena slower speed. The ratio of the speed of the retracting roll to themetering roll should be about as low as about 1:10 but normally mayrange to as low as about 1:60 or even as low as about 1:100. In this waythe web or sheet is even further compacted or condensed and becomes moreuniform in fiber distribution and weight. The linear speed of thefibrous web is now considerably reduced because of the successive linearspeed reductions during the web transfer from the main cylinder to themetering roll and then to the retracting roll. Although the individualratios of the linear speed reductions may extend over relatively wideranges, the combination or the sum of the two reductions must be suchthat the linear speed of the fibrous web as it is carried on the surfaceof the retracting roll should be equal to or less than the linear speedof the lap as it is advanced -between the feed roll and plate. Thecompacted web R is removed from the retracting roll by a pair ofrotating dofiing rolls 32 and 33 mounted on shafts 34 and 35,respectively, journaled in bearings in the card frame. These dofiingrolls or other similar mechanisms for removing fibrous webs fromcylinders remove the web and allow it to be re-fed between the feedplate and feed roll. These clumps and tufts, etc., are returned to thelicker-in to be further individualized.

The individualized fibers on the main cylinder of the card pass by themetering roll and are acted on, that is, carded, by the stationary top37. The open area of the main cylinder between the licker-in and the topis covered by plates 27 and 28 in order to prevent air currents fromdisrupting the fibers and to control iiy and lint. The stationary top 37consists of an aluminum frame or other suitable metal frame 38 fastenedby means of bolts and lugs to the side frame of the main cylinder. Thetop is adjustably fastened to the main cylinder as is more clearly shownin FIGURES 2 and 3. The underside of this top, that is, the side facingthe clothing on the main cylinder, comprises a cut pile fabricadhesively secured to the top. The cut pile fabric may be either a plushor velvet fabric made from coarse denier fiber having rigidity such aspolyolefin fiber, nylon fiber o1 similar fiber. Though the individualfiber has rigidity, the entire surface is resilient. The cut pilefabrics used in accordance with the present invention will have aminimum of 500,000 fiber ends per square foot contacting the points ofthe clothing of the card and may have as many as `two to three millionor more points per square foot acting to card fibers on the maincylinder of the card. The revolving liats of a standard card have fromabout 60,000 to 80,000 points per square foot whereas my new top hasapproximately ten times or more the number of points which unlike thestandard card are in contact with the points of the main cylinder toprovide very eicient carding of bers. The points of the cut pile fabricare in contact with the points on the main cylinder of the card so thatno fibers are allowed to float between the main cylinder and the cardingtop as is normally the case wherein the top must be spaced a dist-ancefrom these points so as not to cause damage to the points on the maincylinder of the card. As is shown, the top may be in a series ofsections which fit close together. The cut pile fabric on the top isresilient and fiexible so that if a clump or tuft of fiber does ridewith the points on the main cylinder, the top will be resilient enoughto accept this clump or tuft without damaging the points of the maincylinder. The light contact between the top and the main cylinderprovides positive excellent carding action on all of the fibers andopens any of the smaller clumps or tufts of fibers and individualizesthem.

As more clearly shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the carding top has anoverlapping portion 4f) which extends down beyond the frame of the maincylinder in close relationship therewith, On the main cylinder frame 41of the card, there is an angle bracket 42 having a hole therein. In linewith this bracket is a bracket 43 fixed to the top also having a holetherein aligned with the hole in the angle bracket. A bolt 45 extendsthrough these two holes. A nut 46 positions the bolt tightly in theangle bracket and the nuts 47 and 48 adjust the position of the top withrespect to the main cylinder of the card and the points of the card. Theoverlapping portion of the top prevents the fly and dust from escapingfrom the card and of course reduces waste. The tops may be readilyremoved simply by removing the bolt 48 and lifting the top from thecard. It is preferable that the tops be ribbed or reinforced to makethem light-weight and easily removable. The top may be removed withoutaltering or changing the adjustment of the top so that the card may becleaned or worked upon and the top replaced to the correct adjustmentsimply by removing the bolt 48.

Adjacent the front end of the card is a dofiing cylinder 50 which ismounted on an axle 51 journaled in bearings in the card frame. Thedofling cylinder extends the width of the main cylinder of the card.Usually the dolng cylinder is about 27 inches in diameter and is clothedin fillet or metallic clothing with the teeth disposed so as to removefibers from the main cylinder. The dofing cylinder rotates at a speed offrom about 5 to 40 r.p.m.s or from about 35 to 280 feet per minute whichof course is a much lower speed than the speed of the main cylinder andallows the fibrous materials to be condensed onto the doffng cylinder inthe form of a fibrous web. The fibrous web F is removed from the dofiingcylinder by any of the conventional dofng mechanisms, a dofiing comb 52being shown. Roller doing or nip blade dofling may also be used toremove the fibrous web from the doffing cylinder.

As will be noted from the foregoing, my improved carding apparatus maybe enclosed to prevent any fiy or waste from blowing out from the cardcylinder. Furthermore, since my card top is stationary there is no wastebuild-up in this card top. The only waste produced by my card will bethat disposed of by the licker-in through the mote knives and fiberscreen. The clumps and tufts of fibers will not be present in the finalweb as the metering roll removes these and forces them to be opened intoindividualized fibers. The contact of my carding top with the maincylinder of the card provides for a positive carding action so that allfibers are opened and individualized with extremely little waste andfew, if any, clumps or neps of lfibers.

It is to be appreciated that the advantages obtained with the presentinvention will vary and will depend to a' large extent on the grade ofliber being processed, production rates, coarseness or size of the yarnsbeing produced, etc.

Although no motors, pulleys, belts, gears or like mechanical means havebeen illustrated in the drawings or described in the specification fordriving the various rotating cylinders and rolls in the desired orrequired speeds or with the rotation indicated by the direct arrows, itis to be appreciated that such elements have been omitted to keep thedescription short and to avoid the introduction of matter for whichthere are well known expedients in the art. The mechanical driving meanswhich are used are conventional and merely involve the application ofwell-known mechanical driving principles.

Although I have described the invention in detail, it is to beunderstood that the description is intended to be illustrative and notrestrictive as many details may be modified or changed without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the inventionis to be limited only by the appended claims viewed in light of theprior art.

What is claimed is:

1. Carding apparatus comprising: feed means for feeding fibrous materialto be carded, a rotatable cleaning surface adjacent said feed means toreceive fibers to be carded from said feed means, a rotatable cardingsurface adjacent said rotatable cleaning surface to accept the fibers tobe carded from said rotatable cleaning surface, a stationary resilientcarding surface comprising a cut pile fabric in contact with a portionof the circumference of said rotatable carding surface forindividualizing and parallelizing said fibrous material on saidrotatable carding surface and a rotatable dotling surface adjacent saidrotatable carding surface for removing the fibrous material after it hasbeen carded from said rotatable carding surface in the form of a fibrousweb.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said stationary resilientcarding surface is a velvet fabric.

3. Carding apparatus comprising: feed means for feeding a lap of fibrousmaterial to be carded, a rotatable cleaning surface adjacent said feedmeans to remove tufts and clumps of fibrous material from said lap fedby said feed means and present them to a rotatable carding surface, arotatable carding surface adjacent said rotatable cleaning surface foraccepting fibrous material from said rotatable cleaning surface, arotatable metering surface immediately adjacent said rotatable cardingsurface and traveling at a peripheral surface linear speed less thanthat of said rotatable carding surface for withdrawing a portion of saidfibrous material from said rotatable carding surface, retracting andcondensingl means adjacent said rotatable metering surface for removingsaid portion of yfibrous material removed from said carding surface andreturning said portion to said feed means, a stationary resilientcarding surface comprising a cut pile fabric in contact with a portionof the circumference of said rotatable carding surface forindividualizing and parallelizing the remaining portion of said fibrousmaterial on said rotatable carding surface and a rotatable doflingsurface adjacent said rotatable carding surface for removing saidremaining portion of said fibrous material from said rotatable cardingsurface in the form of a fibrous web.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the stationary resilientcarding surface is a velvet fabric.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,848,755 8/1958 Caille 19--1143,235,910 2/1966 Kalwaites 19-105 3,325,866 6/1967 Caille 19-114 FOREIGNPATENTS 675,867 12/ 1963 Canada.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. D. NEWTON, Assistant Examiner.

